Continuously emerging user needs have contributed to the rapid development of various ‘Mobile Broadband Wireless Access’ (herein after ‘MBWA’) technologies. As the demand for high speed data services increases while a user is on move, many MBWA technologies are being upgraded to cater to this demand. For example, one of the early MBWA technologies based on IEEE 802.16e standard, which is widely known as Mobile-WiMax, is being upgraded based on IEEE 802.16m standard. The ‘Base Station’s (herein after ‘BS’) in the upgraded or enhanced network are known as ‘Advanced Base Station’s (herein after ‘ABS’) that supports both the IEEE 802.16e standard and the IEEE 802.16m standard. The ABS thus enables smooth functioning of a legacy (that is, IEEE 802.16e standard compliant) Mobile Station (MS), a multimode (that is, IEEE 802.16e/16m standard compliant) MS, and an IEEE 802.16m standard compliant MS in these networks.
The multimode MS, when in connected mode, may move across the cells/sectors of the enhanced network that may be based on different revisions of the MBWA standard. As per the existing standard, when a multimode MS in connected mode moves from the cell of a legacy network to the cell of an enhanced network, the connection gets disrupted during the transition. Also when a multimode MS, either in idle mode or in connected mode, attempts to move from the cell of a legacy network to an enhanced network, the MS wastes considerable amount of power in scanning, which is necessary for the MS to find the legacy zone under the ABS of the potential target cell in its neighbourhood to get connected to the ABS of the target cell of the enhanced network.
Further, as per existing state of art, though the multimode MS in connected mode moves from the cell of a legacy network to the cell of an enhanced network, the multimode MS is unable to utilize the additional features of the enhanced network. After the handoff, the multimode MS connects to the legacy zone of the ABS and continues its data service with the ABS using the 802.16e (hereinafter ‘16e’) protocols of the legacy network as specified in IEEE 802.16e standard. Such a system, limits the utility of a multimode MS in the enhanced network despite the system's capability.
Thus a scope is identified to improve the handoff functioning of a multimode MS in an MBWA standard compliant communication system when the multimode MS, in connected mode, is moving from a cell of a legacy network to the cell of an enhanced network. Further, another scope is identified to improve the functioning of a multimode MS after the handoff when the MS has moved from the cell of a legacy network to the cell of an enhanced network.